Beyond September 11th

In the days, weeks, months, and now years following the events of September 11, 2001,
the faculty and staff of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding asked each other:
“As professional peacebuilders and educators, what do we have to contribute to a world
in the shadow of these events?” This series of articles and responses,Beyond September 11th, is but one answer to that question.

Reflections on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and beyond can be found at thePeacebuilder Onlineblog, tagged with “Beyond September 11th.”

At The Fork in the Road: Trauma HealingAs peacebuilders, we must learn to recognize and examine the trauma that often smolders
beneath conflict. We might be able to provide a quick fix, but we can’t transform
the presenting conflict without uncovering — or somehow attending to — the underlying
trauma. The conflict can actually worsen. Victims are re-traumatized and, if the trauma
goes unhealed, the victim may become the aggressor; the abused may become the abuser.by Nancy Good, October 10, 2001

Difficulties of Confronting Unconventional WarfareStrategists of unconventional warfare have for decades sought to turn the anger and
might of a military giant against itself. Thus, the September 11 attackers stand in
a tradition of unconventional warfare with a considerable track record of success.by Ron Kraybill, September 26, 2001

How Might Peacemakers Respond to Terrorism?The events of September 11 may leave those of us committed to non-violent methods
of conflict resolution puzzled about how to respond. As military and intelligence
forces mobilize around the world, what is our responsibility?by David Brubaker, October 2, 2001

Is U.S. Policy Being Driven by the Pentagon’s Hardware?If this really is a new kind of war against a new kind of enemy, shouldn’t our leaders
be taking the time to develop the necessary tools before “ramping up” a war effort
to the point where the military hardware and tactical needs drive policy rather than
the other way around?by Jayne Seminare Docherty, November 9, 2001

Even when we think we have some idea of the nature of the problem, we do not have
the language for expressing our ideas.

We have difficulty mobilizing resources to deal with the problems arising out of the
crisis.

We need to create new organizational structures and new organizational relationships
in order to address the crisis effectively.

by Jayne Seminare Docherty, September 17, 2001

Strategy in AfghanistanInitial responses to September 11 focused on the question of how to eliminate Osama
bin Laden and the threat of terrorism. In recent days a broader set of related questions
are emerging. First, how do we relate to the people of Afghanistan? This is a key
question. Second, how do we gain support of Afghanis to apprehend bin Laden and take
him to trial? This is an immediate question. A longer-term question, but nearly as
important to the success of efforts to address terrorism and support the emergence
of stability in the region is, third, how do we assist the creation of a credible
government in Kabul?by Ali Gohar and Ron Kraybill, October 5, 2001

The Challenge of Terror: A Traveling EssayThough natural, the cry for revenge and the call for the unleashing of the first war
of this century, prolonged or not, seems more connected to social and psychological
processes of finding a way to release deep emotional anguish, a sense of powerlessness,
and our collective loss than it does as a plan of action seeking to redress the injustice,
promote change and prevent it from ever happening again.by John Paul Lederach, September 16, 2001

Trauma Recovery and Justice: September 11 and its AftermathWhat form of justice will continue and sustain a recovery process for the families
of those lost in this tragedy, and for all of us as we seek security in our world?
Is it only the punitive kind that uses the rule of law and possibly violence to ‘right
the wrong’ or is it justice that leads to transformation of unjust circumstances through
the development of just relationships?by Barry Hart, September 16, 2001

What Motivates the Terrorist or Potential Terrorist?Our instinct is to assume that anyone who would fly a passenger jet into a building,
killing himself, everyone on board, and thousands of other people in the building
must be deranged. This judgement often finds expression in claims that such individuals
are evil. If this is the case, then crafting any kind of a preventive or cautionary
message for individuals who might take similar actions is futile.by Jayne Seminare Docherty, September 24, 2001

A Call for Thoughtful ResponseFinally, as the full magnitude of the horror of these events becomes apparent, the
repercussions are going to be personal as well as political, social, and cultural.
We will each experience this trauma in our own way and our responses will be shaped
by our past experiences with war, violence, and terror. It is important that we each
find places where we can process our personal horror. We also need to be particularly
mindful of the impact of these events on our neighbors whose lives have already included
violence and terror in the United States and around the world.by Jayne Seminare Docherty, Ron Kraybill, Howard Zehr, September 12, 2001